I was really excited to get this as I read The Red Tent by her a while ago and found it very engaging. The structure of this is more like a sequence of short stories than a novel; I found the timeline a bit confusing at times but I liked the serial focus on individual characters with each chapter. One thing I didn't understand was that when Cornelius left Dogtown he was supposed to be its last resident, but weren't Oliver and Polly still in a house there?

I really liked the unsentimentally realistic depiction of how hand-to-mouth the characters' existence was, and how limited the options were for women who weren't in the protection of a family. Maybe because some of the most likeable characters (Judy, Easter, etc) end up on their feet, despite some of the gritty subject matter I found it quite upbeat in the end.

loved it, not in anything like the same way as the Red Tent which was wonderful but it was the first book i've had in the book circle that i've kept rushing to pick up.I cared about the characters all of them but especially Judy & Cornelius i wish they could have got it together and stayed together. I even cared about the dogs!

Just finished The Red Tent and what a book! The author has such a way with words I felt like I was there living the life. I loved the way that she brought Jacob's wives to life and the rituals of the women of the time made fascinating reading.

I've just finished WTH's book and have to add myself to the list of people who've really enjoyed it. I thought all the characters were very believable and felt very sad for Judy and Cornelius. Thanks Wheresthehamster

I found this book at bit slow at first, but part of the way through, it picked up pace - I was a bit put off by the skipping around the characters and time line, but overall enjoyed it. Will look out for the red tent book in the library on my next visit!

I really really enjoyed this one!People had told me it wasn't as good as red tent, but I haven't read that, so I wasn't put off.I just loved the characters, and the setting, and found all the interwoven stories really interesting. I think I like books that have lots of multi-threaded tales tbh.Excellent stuff!